The Old King
Emperor Malachar Vel'tareth was a powerful sorcerer-king who ruled the Black Empire for over six centuries. His roads still connect The Crescent's major cities, and his wardstone network remains the foundation of safe travel between settlements.
Imperial Infrastructure
The drow emperor built his empire through infrastructure rather than conquest. The Black Empire expanded as settlements chose to connect to his road network and accept the protection of his wardstones. Cities that joined gained immediate access to trade routes and security. Those that remained independent often found themselves isolated as commerce flowed along the emperor's roads.
Most citizens took the road's appearance for granted—sections appeared over the span of a decade, though few questioned the emperor's methods. The emperor maintained personal involvement in construction projects across his vast territories, traveling the roads himself and supervising wardstone placement. This hands-on approach created loyalty that lasted for centuries.
"Curious how the Black Empire's ruler became simply the 'Old King' in popular memory. Perhaps 'King' felt more personal than 'Emperor'—and six centuries of rule certainly earns the 'Old' designation, even by drow standards."
— Mysteries of Infrastructure, p. 23
The Old King's Road
The road network bears his name because it represents his greatest achievement. The original stonework, constructed over approximately a decade during the height of his empire, still shows the master craftsmanship that made it possible to unify territories across The Crescent.
Emperor Malachar didn't merely commission the roads—he personally oversaw their construction and placement of every wardstone. The network reflected his vision of how civilization should function: connected, protected, and efficiently managed from a central authority.
Modern repair efforts reveal the technical superiority of the original construction. Current engineers can maintain the roads but cannot replicate the building techniques or the precise wardstone positioning that makes the system function. The emperor's construction methods remain poorly documented, with only fragmentary records of his personal involvement in the work.
"The Old King's methods fascinate me. Such personal involvement in every wardstone placement suggests these weren't mere construction projects. One wonders what he saw in those remote locations that required his direct attention."
— The Infrastructure Mystery, personal notes
Exile and Disappearance
When the Black Wind catastrophe struck in 670 BNE, it unleashed storms and monster awakenings across the empire. Whether coincidence or consequence, the timing devastated public faith in the emperor's rule. Citizens blamed his magical infrastructure projects, viewing his wardstones and arcane works as hubris that brought divine retribution upon the realm.
The following decades saw cascading territorial losses as political order collapsed. The eastern provinces fell to abandonment and chaos by 665 BNE. The southern coastal cities were deserted as populations fled what they saw as "cursed" roads. Major population centers like Ilythiirnaris became untenable as civil unrest made governance impossible, even where the infrastructure itself remained intact.
By 639 BNE, with most of his empire lost and civil unrest reaching the capital itself, Emperor Malachar chose exile rather than preside over the final collapse. He departed for the uttermost north and vanished from written history.
From the Builders' Dirge
When winter's breath grew bitter keen,
The Stone-King took his way;
And with him passed the hidden lore
That none may now assay.
Swift fell the halls of majesty,
Swift withered crown and throne;
Yet still his roadways bind the land
When kings are earth and stone.
Legacy
Emperor Malachar's infrastructure outlasted his empire by nearly two millennia. Every merchant caravan, every message courier, every traveler seeking safe passage between cities depends on the roads and wardstones he created.
His greatest achievement wasn't conquest or wealth—it was building something that worked so well that civilization couldn't function without it. The Crescent's entire economy still follows the trade routes he planned, and its settlements cluster around the wardstone network he established.
Whether he was visionary architect or tyrant depends on perspective. The roads enabled unprecedented prosperity and cultural exchange, but they also created dependence on systems that only one person truly understood. When he left, that knowledge went with him.
Recent infrastructure problems have created new concerns. Road Wardens report that some wardstones require more frequent maintenance than historical records suggest. Certain sections of road show wear patterns that don't match traffic estimates. The network functions, but it shows signs of strain that weren't present in previous centuries.
The emperor built the foundation of modern civilization, then disappeared, leaving behind works that still shape daily life across The Crescent. His roads endure as both monument and mystery—a reminder that some legacies prove more permanent than the powers that created them.